Sony Xperia Z1 – Sony’s rumoured superphone

Fresh rumours have emerged about Sony’s eagerly anticipated Xperia Z1. The Japanese multinational is due to reveal the new handset on September 4th.

But already speculation about the Z1, which is also known by its code name of Honami, is rife. The latest leaked images of the Sony Xperia Z1 show a handset which appears a little thicker than the Xperia Z, probably because the Z1 is expected to come with a better battery and improved waterproofing.

A separate set of images show the new handset coming in a choice of black, white or purple – the same hues currently available for both the Xperia Z and the Xperia Z Ultra.

The new Z1 is expected to appeal to consumers who want a decent camera as it is due to come with an impressive 20-megapixel device along with 4K video recording capabilities.

It is understood that along with a standard LED flash, the 20.7MP camera will have an Exmor S sensor with a Carl Zeiss or G lens, and a xenon flash, allowing users to take more professional looking photographs.

It means the Xperia Z1 should take good snaps, even in low lighting conditions, allowing Sony to compete with the likes of Nokia’s Lumia 1020, with its 41-megapixel camera.

Otherwise, the new phone is widely expected to have similar specs to Sony’s Xperia Z Ultra, so that will mean a quad-core Snapdragon 800 prcessor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage along with a microSD slot.

Those specs should make it one of the most powerful phones in the world, both in terms of benchmarks and real-life use.

With a sleek rectangular body, the Z1 also appears to have the same aluminium power button as the Z along with silver port flaps.

The new device will have a 5-inch 1080p display – again similar to the Xperia Z. But while the Z was criticised for its poor viewing angles, Sony is understood to have improved its screen technology to make sure the Z1 doesn’t suffer from the same problems.

A huge 3,000mAh battery is expected to keep the Z1 running smoothly for at least a day between charges and there will be built-in power saving features to make sure any updates or connections are turned off when the device is idle.

While Sony’s new device has been known as the Xperia Honami, which means sail, south and beauty in Japanese, it is thought the final name will be the Xperia Z1 because that is closer to the way Sony has named its previous devices.

It is believed the Sony Xperia Z1 will be announced at IFA in Berlin on September 4th, along with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

The release of the Xperia Z1 is just the latest move by Sony to snatch some of the share of the smartphone market from high-end manufacturers Samsung and Apple. Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai has already signalled his commitment to making his company a bigger player in the technology market.